FDA Issues Warning on Medical Device After a Superbug Outbreak

What if you went into a medical facility for a fairly routine procedure and didn’t come out for days because you were infected with a superbug virus during the procedure? The possibility is very real as is the possibility that you might not come out at all.
For seven patients undergoing tests and procedures recently at world-famous UCLA, the above scenarios was a reality. Two patients died because of the infection.
These patients at UCLA, along with countless other worldwide, undergo a variety of procedures done with a medical tool called duodenoscopes each day. The duodenoscope is a valuable tool which allows doctors to get a glimpse down the throat and all the way into the stomach of a patient. While the use of a duodenoscopes is invasive, it’s not nearly as invasive as surgery, so it’s a widely used and successful medical tool.Marc Sparks has read that the duodenoscope also harbors bacteria that is passed from patient to patient, resulting in a deadly superbug outbreak.
The duodenoscope consists of flexible tubing so that it can be threaded down the throat and maneuvered where needed once inside the human body. Because of the flexible design, it’s also hard to clean.
The FDA has issued a warning regarding the potential for passage of resistant strains of deadly bacteria between patients if the medical device is not properly cleaned. The FDA is also working with both sides to see what other precautions or changes can be made to the device to make it safer for usage.